As part of the proceedings of the Arab Network’s annual conference and the meetings of its 25th General Assembly, currently being held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) handed over the presidency of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions to the National Institution for Human Rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain, after having chaired the Network for a full year. The Centre’s presidency was marked by effective efforts to enhance institutional cooperation and coordinate joint positions among member institutions, contributing to strengthening the Network’s role and reinforcing its regional presence. The Centre also reaffirmed its continued support for the Network’s work and its active contribution to achieving its objectives in the coming phase.
This took place during the 25th Arab Network Conference and General Assembly, held in Manama in January 2026 under the title: “Protecting Children in the Digital Space: Challenges, Legislation, and Preventive Measures.” In her address, the Chairperson of the Network and Chair of NCHR’s Board of Trustees, Ms. Samar Haj Hassan, emphasized that convening the conference represents a continuation of the Network’s journey since its establishment in 2011 and reflects its ongoing commitment to promoting and protecting human rights in the Arab region, particularly in light of rapidly evolving digital challenges.
Ms. Haj Hassan reviewed the key achievements of 2025, a year marked by serious regional and international challenges, highlighting three main tracks of work: strengthening governance and building the institutional capacities of member institutions; expanding regional and international coordination and enhancing partnerships; and intensifying human rights advocacy and responses to regional challenges, foremost among them the Palestinian cause, including calls for international legal accountability, rejection of displacement plans, and documentation of violations against civilians and journalists.
For his part, the Commissioner General for Human Rights, Mr. Jamal Al-Shamayleh, stressed in his address on children’s digital citizenship skills that digital transformations have made the digital space an integral part of children’s lives, which necessitates empowering them to use it safely in a manner that protects their rights and is consistent with national constitutions and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He underlined that children’s right to safe access to technology is matched by the responsibility of the state, educational institutions, civil society, the media, and families to provide a digital environment that protects children from exploitation, violence, cyberbullying, and violations of privacy.
Mr. Al-Shamayleh also pointed to the shared role of schools, families, and the media in fostering digital citizenship skills by integrating digital rights concepts into curricula, enabling children especially children with disabilities to understand the risks of sharing personal data, raising awareness of their right to privacy, and training teachers while educating parents on positive digital guidance approaches. He further highlighted several regional challenges, most notably limited awareness of digital citizenship, disparities in infrastructure, shortages of resources, and the limited integration of these concepts into school curricula.
The convening of the “Protecting Children in the Digital Space” conference, with the active participation of the National Centre for Human Rights, constitutes a practical extension of the Network’s efforts to address emerging issues through a participatory and comprehensive approach based on the exchange of expertise and experiences. The Centre underscores the importance of building on the conference’s outcomes to strengthen joint Arab action and support the role of national institutions in developing effective policies and mechanisms to protect children as the group most deserving of care and attention thereby ensuring the creation of a safe and just digital society founded on respect for human rights.
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